In nature, fauna and flora use different mechanisms to survive Among them, one of the most peculiar is the ability to change color In most cases, this ability responds to the need to blend into the environment, but it also fulfills other functions.
Chameleons are the most representative species when it comes to animals that change their appearance. However, there are many others, do you know some? Discover the 10 animals that change color in this article on our site.
Why do animals change color?
There are various species capable of modifying their appearance. Many animals change color to hide, so it is a defense method However, this is not the only reason. In addition, the color change does not only occur in species such as chameleons, which are capable of changing the tone of their rough skin. Other species transform or change the color of their coats for various reasons. These are the main causes that explain why animals change color:
- Survival: Running away from predators and blending into the environment is the main reason for the color change. Thanks to this, the animal goes unnoticed to flee or hide. This phenomenon is called variable protection.
- Thermoregulation: other species change color according to temperature. Thanks to this, they absorb more heat during cold seasons or cool down in the summer.
- Mating: Changing body color is one way to attract the opposite sex during mating season. Bold and bright colors successfully attract the attention of the potential partner.
- Communication: Chameleons are able to change color according to their mood. Thanks to this, it works as a way to communicate with your peers.
Now you know why animals change color, but How do they do it? We'll explain it to you next.
How do animals change color?
The mechanisms that animals use to change color are varied, since their physical structures are different. What does this mean? A reptile does not change in the same way an insect does and vice versa.
For example, chameleons and cephalopods have cells called chromatophores, which contain various types of pigmentsThey are located in the three outer layers of the skin and each layer houses pigments corresponding to different colors. According to what they need, the chromatophores are activated to modify the color of the skin.
Another mechanism involved in the process is vision, necessary to decipher light levels. Depending on the amount of light that exists in the environment, the animal requires its skin to wear different tones. The process is simple: the eyeball deciphers the light intensity and transports the information to the pituitary gland, a hormone that secretes components into the blood that alert the skin to the color that the species requires
Some animals do not change the color of their skin, but they do their fur or plumage For example, in birds the color change (most have brown feathers early in life) responds to the need to distinguish between males and femalesTo do this, the brown plumage falls off and the characteristic color of the species appears. The same goes for mammals that change the color of their fur, although the main reason is to camouflage themselves in the changing seasons; for example, sporting white fur during winter in snowy areas.
This answers the question about how animals change color. Below, discover many species that do!
What animals change color?
You already know why animals change color and how they do it. Now, what animals change color? We will talk about these species:
- Jackson Trioceros
- Yellow Crab Spider
- Mime octopus
- Common cuttlefish
- Common sole
- Striking Sepia
- European flounder
- Tortoise Beetle
- American Anole
- Arctic Fox
1. Jackson Trioceros
Jackson's trioceros (Trioceros jacksonii) is one of the chameleons that is capable of making the greatest number of color changes, since it adopts between 10 and 15 different shadesThe species is native to Kenya and Tanzania, where it lives in areas between 1,500 and 3,200 meters above sea level.
The original coloration of these chameleons is green, either alone or with yellow and blue areas. In addition, it has three horns on its head.
two. Yellow Crab Spider
This is an arachnid that is among the animals that change color to hide. The yellow crab spider (Misumena vatia) measures between 4 and 10 mm and lives in North America.
The species has a flat body and elongated and separated legs, which is why it is called a crab. The color is variable between brown, white and light green; however, it adapts its body to the flowers where it is located to hunt, so it dresses its body in bright shades yellow and white spotted.
If this animal has caught your attention, you may also be interested in this other article on Types of poisonous spiders.
3. Cuddly octopus
The hiding ability of the mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus [1]) is truly impressive. It is a species that inhabits the waters surrounding Australia and Asian countries, where it can be found at a maximum depth of 37 metres.
Intending to hide from predators, this octopus is capable of adopting the colors of nearly twenty different marine species. These species are heterogeneous and include jellyfish, snakes, fish and even crabs. In addition, its flexible body is able to imitate the shape of other animals, such as manta rays.
4. Common cuttlefish
The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is a mollusk that lives in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, where it is found at least 200 meters deep. It measures a maximum of 490 mm and weighs up to 2 kilos.
Cuttlefish live in sandy and muddy areas, where they hide from predators during the day. Like chameleons, its skin has chromatophores, which allow it to change color to adopt various patternsOn sand and unicolored substrates, it maintains a uniform tone, but presents specks, dots, streaks and colors in heterogeneous environments.
5. Common sole
The common sole (Solea solea) is another fish capable of modifying the color of its body. It inhabits the waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean areas, where it can be found at a maximum depth of 200 metres.
The flounder has a flattened body that allows it to bury itself in the sand to hide from predators. In addition, it slightly modifies its skin color, both to protect itself and to hunt the worms, molluscs and crustaceans that make up its diet.
6. Striking sepia
The showy cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) is distributed in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It lives in sandy and swampy areas, where its body is perfectly camouflaged. However, this variety is poisonous; for this reason, she changes her body to a bright shade of red when she feels threatened. With this transformation, he tells his predator about his toxicity.
In addition, it is capable of camouflaging itself with the environment. To do this, the body of this cuttlefish contains 75 chromatic components that adopt up to 11 different color patterns.
If this peculiar animal has caught your attention, you may also like this other article about Blue Animals.
7. European flounder
Another marine animal that changes color to hide is the European flounder (Platichthys flesus [2]). It is a fish that lives 100 meters deep, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.
This flatfish uses camouflage in different ways: the main one is to hide under the sand, an easy task due to the shape of its flattened body. In addition, it is able to adapt its color to the seabed, although the color change is not as impressive as in other species.
8. Tortoise Beetle
Another animal that changes color is the tortoise beetle (Charidotella egregia). It is a beetle whose wings reflect a striking metallic gold colorHowever, in times of stress, its body transports fluids to the wings and they turn an intense red color
This species feeds on leaves, flowers and roots. In addition, the tortoise beetle is one of the most striking that exists.
9. American Anole
The Anolis carolinensis [3]is a reptile native to the United States, but it can currently be found in Mexico and several Central American islands. It inhabits forests, grasslands, and steppes, where it prefers to live in trees and on rocks.
This reptile's original color is bright green; however, his skin turns a dark brown when he feels threatened. Like chameleons, its body has chromatophores.
10. Arctic Fox
There are also some mammals capable of changing color. In this case, what changes is not the skin, but the fur. The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is one of these species. It lives in the arctic areas of America, Asia and Europe.
The coat of this species is brown or greyish during warm weather. However, it sheds its coat when winter approaches, to adopt a bright whitecoloring. This color allows it to camouflage itself in the snow, an ability it requires to hide from possible attacks and hunt their prey.
You may also be interested in this other article on Types of foxes - Names and photographs.
Other animals that change color
In addition to those mentioned, there are many animals that change color to hide or for other reasons. Here are some of them:
- Crab Spider (Mismenoides formosipes)
- Great blue octopus (Cyanea octopus)
- Smith's dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion taeniabronchum)
- Spotted horse (Hippocampus erectus)
- Fischer's chameleon (Bradypodion fischeri)
- Nose-nosed horse (Hippocampus reidi)
- Ituri Chameleon (Bradypodion adolfifriderici)
- Caboso de los puddles (Gobius paganellus)
- Common squid (Doryteuthis opalescens)
- Abyssal octopus (Graneledone boreopacifica)
- Australian giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama)
- Common hook squid (Onychoteuthis banksii)
- Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)